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Cheap, kid-friendly dinner ideas

I always make a list and plan out my dinners before I go grocery shopping. It seems lately that we've been having the same dinners over again, because they are cheap and what I know. I'm going to the grocery store later and would love some different ideas. I have a budget of about $80-$100. I will be feeding myself & my 3 girls (8, 6, & 19 mos.) Help me please! I would really appreciate it!

My kids are so not picky, and I am very grateful for that. I too make a menu ahead of time and try to keep it to $100 a week to feed myself, hubby, an 18 year old boy, 17 year old boy, 10 year old boy, and 8 year old girl.

First off, do you have a Kroger, or do you do most of your shopping at Wal-Mart? The reason I ask is that Kroger generally has really good deals on some kind of meat. This week I bought a 9 lb pork roast for less than $9.00. It will make three of our meals.

They also have large packages of chicken on sale fairly often.

This weeks menu follows.

Monday- Turkey pot pie, we used left over turkey from Thanksgiving, a bag of frozen mixed veggies, I make my own cream of mushroom(a can works just as well), and for the topping Bisquick mixed with milk, an egg, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika

Left over pork to make quesadillas, with yellow rice, and black beans.

Friday-Vegetable soup I use 1/2 lb of ground beef and 1/2 lb ground turkey. It reduces the fat and price. I use two bags of Vegetable Soup mix (Kroger Brand) it has the potatoes, and all kinds of veggies in it. 1 large can of tomato sauce, 1/2 a can of V-8 (sneaks in a few extra veggies) 4 cups of water and 2 beef bullion cubes. What ever extra seasonings your family likes. I saute an onion before browning the meat and leave it in the pot too.

Left over pork to make Bar-B-que beans to go with cole slaw, and toasted rolls.

I love trying to keep my budget under $100. If you would like some more ideas I have an entire book full of them.

LENTIL TACOSIngredients1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed8 ounce can tomato sauce (or home made)corn tortillas (for fun, use a mix of white, yellow and blue)1 packet dry taco seasoning mix (or make your own with the recipe below)handful of textured soy protein, optional (I leave this out)lettuce (shredded)cucumber (seeded, peeled, sliced)tomatoes (chopped)lemon or lime wedges (optional)DirectionsCover the lentils with water in a large saucepan. They expand tremendously so use a large pot. Add tomato sauce, textured soy protein, and taco seasoning. Bring to high heat until boiling. Simmer at low heat until the mixture thickens. Add more water if necessary and stir often so that the bottom does not burn. This process will take about an hour. You want to cook it until it's about the consistency of cooked oatmeal. Taste the mixture and add more seasonings if necessary. Add more textured soy protein if you want more texture and continue to heat until the textured soy protein is fully hydrated. In the meantime, heat the corn tortillas in the oven, directly on the oven rack for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Assemble the tacos as desired. Squeeze the lemon wedges over the tacos... yum!!This recipes makes a large quantity and is very flexible with the garnishes. Experiment by adding chopped avocado, cilantro, onion, etc. I prefer these without salsa since the taco filling has so much flavor on its own. Enjoy!!Taco Seasoning: 4.5 tsp. paprika; 1 tsp. cumin powder; 0.5 tsp. oregano; 1 tsp. chili powder; 1 tsp. onion powder; 0.25 tsp. lemon powder (optional, I've never used it); 1 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. sugar; 0.5 tsp. garlic powder; 1 tsp. flour; 0.5 tsp. cocoa powderMix all together and store in airtight container. Makes approx. 4 tablespoonful - the equivalent of 1 package of seasoning (enough to season 1 pound of meat or a substitute). This mix is very mild, I add cayenne

Mushroom Stroganoff, is a great, speedy weeknight dinner, especially if you cook the noodles the night before (I use whole wheat egg noodles or bowties). I also throw in spinach, either fresh or frozen chopped.

1 lb portabello mushrooms (either the large or baby bellas), cut in half and sliced1/2 onion, diced1 - 1 1/2 c sour cream (I use fat free plain Greek yogurt)1/2 - 1 Tbsp Hungarian Paprikasalt & pepper to tasteolive oil or butter (I use some of each)1/8 cup (or so) vegetable broth or dry white wine (optional, not part of the original recipe; I think that it gives it some depth)Saute diced onions in olive oil or butter (your preference) until just soft and translucent. Add sliced mushrooms, saute until cooked through. Add broth/wine paprika and incorporate well. Turn down heat and add sour cream. Heat through, add salt & pepper to taste. Add more sour cream if the 1 cup doesn't cover everything well. Serve on top of egg noodles or rice. Once I made this and I didn't have enough yogurt, so I added cream cheese and it was still very good! Mushrooms are a great source of protein as well as many other nutrients.http://www.mushroomcouncil.com/nutrition/nutri.html

Snobby Joes (from Veganomicon)1 cup uncooked lentils4 cups water1 tablespoon olive oil1 medium yellow onion, diced small1 green pepper, diced small2 cloves garlic, minced1 - 3 Tablespoons chili powder2 teaspoons oregano1 teaspoon salt8 oz can tomato sauce1/4 cup tomato paste3 tablespoons maple syrup1 tablespoon yellow mustard (wet mustard)4 to 6 whole wheat buns Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside. About 10 minutes before the lentils are done boiling, preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute more. Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through. Turn the heat off and let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can't wait.

Zucchini and Cheese Enchiladas8 corn tortillasOlive oil2 med. zucchini, sliced1/4 c. onion, chopped1 sm. can green chili1 can whole pitted black olives1/2 to 3/4 lb. Monterey Jack cheese (I use less cheese and mix it with 1 to 1.5 cups of refried beans)Enchilada sauce (recipe follows for homemade sauce) Saute zucchini and onions in olive oil. Pour some sauce in the bottom of an oven proof 8 x 11 x 2 inch dish. Heat the tortillas one at a time for approximately 30 seconds in the microwave long enough to soften so they roll without breaking. Too hot or too long, then they get too stiff). Dip warmed tortillas into sauce. Fill with small amounts of zucchini mixture, cheese, olives and chili. Roll the enchilada and place in dish. When you have filled the dish with 8 enchiladas, top the dish with the remaining cheese, olives and chili. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the entire dish. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Enchilada Sauce 1/2 c. onion, chopped1 clove garlic, minced1 tbsp. olive oil1/2 c. vegetable stock1 c. tomato puree2 tsp. chili powder add more if desired to suit taste1 tsp. cuminSalt and pepper, to tasteSaute onion and garlic in oil. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil an simmer for about 1/2 hour. (1 can tomato paste can be substituted for the tomato puree. Add water until you reach the consistency that you like).

In a skillet coated with non-stick cooking spray (I use olive oil) sauté onion, garlic and hot pepper for about 3 minutes to soften. Add chili powder and cook briefly. Add tomatoes, oregano and cumin and bring to a boil. Add pasta, corn and zucchini and simmer 15 minutes until pasta is just tender. Stir in beans and olives. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Transfer bean mixture to a shallow 2 quart casserole. Top with taco shells or tortilla chips and cheese. Bake for 10 minutes to melt cheese. If casserole is assembled in advance and chilled, increase baking time to 20 minutes or until heated through. Top with sour cream at the table.

MEXICAN STUFFED PEPPERS (The original recipe called for brown rice, I substitute quinoa)4 large red or green peppers 1 T olive oil1 cup chopped onion 2 stalks celery, diced 1 t cumin 1 t chili powder1 t basil ½ tsp oregano 2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice1 ½ cups cooked and drained red kidney beans (or one can; really, any bean will do)2 T tamari Cayenne to taste 1 ½ cups canned tomatoes with their juice 1 small can tomato paste Thinly sliced cheese (optional) Wash the peppers and cut them in half length wise. Remove the seeds. Place the peppers, cut side down, on a rack above boiling water. Cover the pot and steam for about 10 min or until they are just beginning to get soft. DO NOT STACK ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER...they will not steam evenly. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, celery, cumin, chili powder, basil and oregano. Saute until the onions are almost tender. Add the cooked quinoa and beans. Mix well; then add the tamari and the cayenne to taste. Mix again. Lightly oil a shallow 7 x 11 inch baking dish. Fill each pepper with the bean and quinoa mixture and place the peppers side by side in the baking dish. Mix together the canned tomatoes and the tomato paste. If the tomatoes are whole, chop them up or break them up with a fork. Pour the tomato mixture over the stuffed peppers. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350´ for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and top each pepper with a thin slice of cheese if desired. Return the dish to the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Anytime I get bored with our menu, I go to allrecipes.com and search for something new.

The other day my kids complained about tacos getting boring. To spice it up a bit I added a can of re-fried beans and some tortillas to the menu. We made double stuff tacos, and that helped a bit. Just smear some beans on the tortilla and wrap it around the hard shell taco then fill your taco with whatever you usually use.

My kids are so not picky, and I am very grateful for that. I too make a menu ahead of time and try to keep it to $100 a week to feed myself, hubby, an 18 year old boy, 17 year old boy, 10 year old boy, and 8 year old girl.

First off, do you have a Kroger, or do you do most of your shopping at Wal-Mart? The reason I ask is that Kroger generally has really good deals on some kind of meat. This week I bought a 9 lb pork roast for less than $9.00. It will make three of our meals.

They also have large packages of chicken on sale fairly often.

This weeks menu follows.

Monday- Turkey pot pie, we used left over turkey from Thanksgiving, a bag of frozen mixed veggies, I make my own cream of mushroom(a can works just as well), and for the topping Bisquick mixed with milk, an egg, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika

Left over pork to make quesadillas, with yellow rice, and black beans.

Friday-Vegetable soup I use 1/2 lb of ground beef and 1/2 lb ground turkey. It reduces the fat and price. I use two bags of Vegetable Soup mix (Kroger Brand) it has the potatoes, and all kinds of veggies in it. 1 large can of tomato sauce, 1/2 a can of V-8 (sneaks in a few extra veggies) 4 cups of water and 2 beef bullion cubes. What ever extra seasonings your family likes. I saute an onion before browning the meat and leave it in the pot too.

Left over pork to make Bar-B-que beans to go with cole slaw, and toasted rolls.

I love trying to keep my budget under $100. If you would like some more ideas I have an entire book full of them.

Wow you'r menu sounds so good. If you don't mind sharing i would enjoy some of you'r ideals. I have 4 little kids so they get bored of the same old thing. Thanks

Send me email updates about messages I've received on the site and the latest news from The CafeMom Team.
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